Tag Archives: Clara

cool new top

23/04/2021 11:27 am \ 6 Comments \

oh hey! I made a new top.

This is the Harmony pattern by FibreMood; and I really loved it upon first sight; the interesting, sailor-inspired bib collar and slightly old-fashioned sleeves with a wide, buttoned cuff.  I think it has a vaguely Edwardian air about it and I am totally on board with this idea!

I used a beautiful silk/linen mix that I bought from Fabulous Fabrics ages ago… btw, I’m on a use-my-stash-only kick, since out move when I realised just how much fabric I have.  Spoiler alert; it’s a LOT and I seriously want to get my supplies down to a much more manageable level.   Like, to about a quarter of what I have now!  Yes, very embarrassing, I know! but there it is and I’m making good headway, believe it or not!  Yes, I know I haven’t posted much here lately, but I’m making a lot of toiles for Cassie’s and my new pattern and I’ve managed to harvest/cull quite a bit in the process.  But, I’m getting sidetracked here… back to my top!

You’re supposed to gather the bodice into the bib, and also gather the sleeves into the cuffs; instead I carefully measured and folded mini pleats in these areas which I think suits my quite crisp fabric a lot better.  I really love doing pleats in lieu of gathers, actually and have done it in quite a few garments in my time.  I won’t call it “age-appropriate”, because I’ve become wary of that divisive term in recent years so I will just describe it instead as “personal-style appropriate”.  That’s better!

The design actually uses an unexpected lot of fabric, and I didn’t actually have enough… I solved this problem by cutting the bib facings on the selvedge, and joined them in the middle.  This enabled a much more efficient layout of the pattern pieces and of course you can’t even see the facings anyway!

The pattern advises you to put buttonholes on the shoulder closure; I did stitch them on during the making but I unpicked them when I realised buttoning and unbuttoning up on my shoulder like that was going to be pretty darned awkward; and I installed pretty pearl-headed press studs there instead.  The sleeves have self-fabric looped button closure too, but they are wide enough I can easily slip my hands through without having to fiddle with those, and the cuffs can stay firmly and securely buttoned the whole time.  I used pearl look-alike buttons here.  Yes; all of of this from my stash!  I’m so glad I could finally “marry” all of these items together into one pretty garment!

 

 

Details:

Top, the harmony blouse pattern by FibreMood, ivory silk/linen
Trousers; the Sasha trousers pattern by ClosetCore patterns, stretchy cotton denim, more details here
Shoes; made by me using a Shoe Camaraderie kit, details here

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embroidered white top

05/03/2021 10:33 pm \ 10 Comments \

hello!

so, short side note; but I didn’t post any yearly resolutions/intentions here previously.  I did on instagram though.  Whoops!  Anyway, I did actually make a little resolution, and here’s the lowdown…

at the beginning of the year I was thinking about how I really enjoyed doing my “make 12” last year so I decided to do it again but this time with a little more flexibility ; I chose the above 12 textiles from my stash with the idea I’d make a sort of unplanned mini capsule wardrobe of 12 things.  Early on I optimistically thought I’d be able to do one thing per month but of course moving house, well, moving two houses as it turned out! and our new pattern were all pretty major and stressful events that ended up taking every ounce I had… and before I even knew it it’s March already!

spot the paw… ^

Anywhoo!  For patterns/designs I’m just gonna decide as I go …!  My 12 fabrics are a hopefully interesting and eclectic mix, including wool, corduroy, damask, drill, jersey, heavily embroidered something, and even some precious fish leather that I bought during our trip to Iceland years ago…

And I made my first thing!

also… paw

This particular fabric is a piece given to me by Mum years ago when she cleaned out her stash, a heavily embroidered and appliquéd cotton that is absolutely beautiful and absolutely my cup of tea!  As it turned out, it was not one piece of fabric, but several already cut out into shirt pieces.  Mum had obviously planned to make a shirt and already cut out a back and two fronts, but I decided to switch them around, and have the one back piece at the front; and the two front pieces at the back!

…she’s been quite needy today; came and plonked herself up against me so hard and close, it was so very sweet!  This furry love was just so comforting and I needed it today too   🙂

Apart from that it’s all fairly standard, I left the selvedges at the bottom of each piece because I thought it looked so weird in a way that I really like… and I attached selvedges pieces to the ends of the sleeves too to get the same effect here.  I stitched the button plackets on the (old) fronts simply down onto each other, and cut a new neckline into the (old) back so I could wear it comfortably as a front.  The neckline is finished with a bias binding, that I cut from an old cream coloured business skirt of Craig’s.

love a good bias binding  🙂

You know how sometimes you make something and you just put it on straight away and don’t want to take it off?  Well, that is how I feel about this new top!  I absolutely love it!

Details:

Top; own design, from embroidered appliquéd cotton
Skirt; from my block, cotton double gauze, details here
Shoes; made by me also, details here

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madder and madder…

30/11/2020 11:19 pm \ 13 Comments \

I made a dress, using this very precious piece of fabric that I have been too frightened to cut in to for years now … ok so I’ve just checked back and it first came into my life back in August 2015,  FIVE YEARS AGO!!  well it’s about well overdue that I made it up, hey…

So what is this, hmmm?  well I did a fantastic one day, natural dyeing workshop with Niji iro Kitta during which I dyed a length of pure white linen with natural madder root.  They had two options; you could either choose to dye with madder, or indigo.  I (obviously) chose madder, the natural dyestuff from the root of rubia tinctoria and since I later got a chance to also dye with natural indigo too, I’m so glad I chose madder this time!  I went along with Nicki (this is moonlight), Sue (fadanista) and Megan (meggipeg), and first posted about it here…

It was heaps of fun!  I remember our fabric had been soaked in soya water and dried first, which apparently helps the dye “take” thoroughly.  Before dyeing, we had to embroider our initials or something marking the fabric as “yours” in some way.  I did mine in red thread; and when it came time to cut out my dress, I carefully made sure to cut around and save the corner with my initials.  And rather than use one of my usual labels I stitched the little square of linen featuring my embroidery inside as a sort of reminder of the day.

I used Vogue 2900 to make my dress… I’ve used this pattern twice before and I really love it!  I think it’s all of comfortable, elegant, classy and beautiful too… I mostly made it just about exactly as per the instructions, topstitching all the seams with matching thread.  I think my only difference was leaving off the pocket facings because I had enough fabric to simply cut the pocket piece and lining also from the self-fabric linen.  I also had enough fabric for a mask!

Hmmm, I wonder if we’ll ever need to wear these here?  I could be making all these masks for nothing!  I guess we’ll have to wait and see.  I sure have nothing against wearing one.  Also, I know I sound like a broken record, but again we are so lucky to have no community transmission of the virus here.  So lucky!   for now!

I finished all the raw edges inside with red overlocking thread, and used a red invisible zip in the CB seam. The natural madder root produces a colour that I would describe as more of a coppery pinky-orange rather that a red actually… and I really like the red inner workings inside against this colour, I think it’s a really pretty contrasting feature.  Of course a pretty contrasting feature that no one is every going to see, haha.  I mean, that’s ok, because who do we do this for but ourselves anyway, hmm?  Exactly.

This is the eleventh thing in my list of 12 things I was going to make this year, from the 12 fabrics I nominated as well… hurrah!

 I have just one thing left on the list, and I think I’m going to be able to manage it.  And I love this dress!  I adore the colour, and the style is right up my alley, so I’m so happy Yoshimi recommended the pattern to me all those years ago.  🙂

 

Details:

Dress; Vogue 2900, madder dyed linen
Mask; using this tutorial
Sandals; super old, from an oppy… I love these and really really need to replace them!

I propped up my phone in a tree and snapped a quick picture on our walk, even though it’s a bit blurry… oh well!

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Cap Ferrat and Myosotis

06/11/2020 8:16 am \ 6 Comments \

The funny thing was; I knew I was going to like this dress because the fabric is just so utterly divine, the pattern that I was a little hmmm about…?  but I’m completely in love with the end result so all’s well that ends very very well!

So, fabric first… this is a cotton lawn from Storrs of London.  It is described as a 100% Egyptian Superfine cotton lawn, and it is, as already mentioned; DIVINE.  It has the exact same feel and hand, and gentle light crispness as Liberty… although diehard Liberty aficionados might come for me, but that’s just my honest opinion!  This particular design is Cap Ferrat, and I honestly struggled to choose just one because there are so many breathtakingly lovely colours and prints to peruse.  I absolutely have to get some more for a shirt for Craig… or maybe just another piece for myself hmmm  hehe…

The pattern, this is the popular Deer and Doe Myosotis dress, of which I’ve seen more lovely versions than I can mention!  I actually bought the pattern two years ago, and it’s taken me this long to finally get around to it, which is a little embarrassing, huh.  I dunno, I’ve just been busy. #weddings Anyway, I’ve always liked the style and thought this gorgeous print would look nice in the style.  And it does!

So like I said, I did have reservations about it though… as I shall now address.  The bust darts on this thing are FIERCE.  I think it really is intended for a far more busty lady than myself, to be honest and was quite worried I was going to end up with the dreaded deflated balloon look on my chest.  I debated whether to tone them down, perhaps to redraft the front to be a more gentle princess seam or something.  Eventually I did reduce the darts a bit but still went for the double darted style as designed, and while the front is still a wee bit flooffy on me I don’t think it’s too bad.  For a future version I will definitely tone them down even more though.

Everything else about the style I love, though.  The sleeves are super lovely, and I completely adore the gently V neckline too, and even the gathered skirts are beautifully proportioned and look very on-trend to my eyes.

It does feel quite short on me! and I even made the hem a teensy bit longer, and hemmed as narrow as I could.  Probably best to avoid touching my toes in public… but I do think the style is super cute though, so I’m happy.  Cute and flirty and fun and perfect for summer.  Everyone needs a sweet little red dress for summer!  🙂

 

Normally I find gathering to be a pain in the neck, but this crisp, very lightweight cotton took to it beautifully.  Yes, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the gathering was actually a dream.  You know how some fabrics are just a delight to work with, from the very beginning of a project to the end?  Well that’s exactly what this stuff is.  Just pure joy.  In case it wasn’t obvious, I can highly recommend!

I also whipped up a quick mask!  Haha,  I felt extremely self conscious wearing this! even though I was all by myself taking these photos, apart from Clara; see, we are extremely lucky so far here in Western Australia that our hard border closure has ensured we have no community cases of covid-19, so basically no one is wearing masks yet; but I think we’re not kidding themselves that we will never get cases here.  I think it’s inevitable, eventually.  Anyway, I do carry one of my masks around in my bag all the time, and I thought it would be fun to whip up a matching one for this dress … I’ve seen so many cute matching masks from other makers on instagram!  I lined it with red poplin, leftover from one I’d made for Craig’s Mum, and cut strips off an already partially cut-up old free Wildcats T-shirt for the straps.

So, funny story… I know it’s not obvious in my pictures here, but… did you notice my footwear?!!  SO I got dressed in the morning, in a hurry, because my days are packed solid at the moment and I just grabbed my thongs, shoved them on my feet and was off.  I took some photos of my new dress for my blog here, did some work, and then at lunchtime took myself and Clara off to the beach for our walk.  And only much later did I suddenly noticed my feet.  LOL!

Details:

Dress; Deer and Doe Myosotis, in Storrs Egyptian cotton lawn, col. Cap Ferrat
Hat; Vogue 8844, white corduroy, recycled from old jeans, details here
Mask; made using the Makers Habitat free YT pattern and tutorial here
Thongs; fipper, bought in Bali on out holiday 2 yrs ago

also, actual photo from my photo shoot today

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snowy white dress

03/09/2020 9:23 pm \ 10 Comments \

 

It’s a bit sad that this dress looks like a white-out and doesn’t photograph as “exciting” because it’s a thing that’s been on my sewing bucket list for YONKSSS, and I absolutely love it!  I think it’s elegant and beautiful and, excuse me for saying so, but I think perfect also … and I’m gonna wear this to death!!

Cassie gave this piece of soft ivory crepe to me for Christmas one year… quite a few years ago actually.  I feel a little terrible that it’s taken me such a long time to getting around to making it up, but I also don’t! because I really wanted its outcome to be perfect. Ok ok, to be as close to perfect as possible… and I’m so very happy with how it did turn out that at the same time that I’m relieved I waited til I was really ready.

The crepe is from Fabulous Fabrics, as is the lovely, light beige lining fabric.  It’s actually leftovers from my mother of the bride dress, for Cassie’s wedding, and beautiful quality too.

Ordinarily I wouldn’t put one of my labels into the back of a delicate dress like this, but I’m determined to use these labels as often as I can, because they’re such fun! and it gives me such a kick to see them in my clothes.

For the hem, I used this triple-stitched method, which makes a really nice, beautifully clean finish.  The only thing to be careful of, especially in a slightly “sponge-y” fabric like crepe, is to just slightly stretch the fabric as it goes through the machine… if you don’t I find the fabric bunches up just a bit, draws in the hemline.  Stretching it doesn’t give the expected lettuce leaf finish but instead gives a beautifully smooth hem.

This is my eighth thing in my #maketwelve this year, from my twelve selected designs and fabrics… hmmm what should I possibly make next?!! I wonder!

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delicious Delice

29/03/2020 10:52 pm \ 5 Comments \

Hello!  I know I said wedding sewing would be the next thing I posted here but I’m not quite ready to write about that yet.  However yes, we had the wedding, it was wonderful and all is well.  In the meantime I’m just quickly jumping in with a new little something, a fun number I finished probably two to three weeks ago now but haven’t really worn it much because the weather has simply been too hot for it.

And now it’s not; et voila…

This pattern is the Delice dress/blouse pattern by Super Bison cousou main; a new-to-me pattern company, and can I just say right now, even apart from anything else like some really nice patterns the name of the company is practically irresistible!  Super Bison!  So cute!  I’m just getting this mental image of a bison with a cape zooming superman-like from out off the prairie grasses and into the sky and it’s giving me a much needed laugh…  🙂

no capes!

My fabric is beautiful, a purpley-chocolate/burnt-orange/raspberry-red/blue brushed cotton plaid… I LOVE the colours here.  I bought this fabric from the Fabric Store in Melbourne on a trip over there with Mum and Cassie, several years ago.

The pattern has three sleeve variations, and I did want to make the long sleeved version but in what is probably the story of my sewing life, I did not have enough fabric…  doh!  I made the sleeves as long as I possible could, and then I even managed to cut another strip to add onto the bottom to make it look like the sleeves have a sort of faux cuff extension too.  It’s a bit of a random feature but I really love it!

Ah plaids; of course I absolutely adore plaids but they come with their own plaid-specific issues and let’s just say it; there is very little plaid matching accomplished here, just the barest of essential areas like the side seams. I simply didn’t have enough fabric for such extravagance.  It’s funny actually kinda serendipitous; when I’d cut out the front bodice, to get all the pieces cut out the front plaid had to be off-centre.  I thought this would bother me but in the end I’m glad actually.  I think it turned out a better look than if everything was perfectly centred and lined up.

I absolutely love this little dress, it’s cosy and comfortable, quite fun to wear, and I think it looks pretty cute as well.   The colours are quite autumnally scrumptious! and in winter I’m going to try it with a long sleeved wooled T-shirt underneath too.

The one little downer sort of a thing is, it must be said, the sad absence of pockets.  I did attempt to put inseam pockets in the side seams but they just did not work actually, and I had to take them out and repair the side seams.  It’s ok, I haven’t quite given up all hope yet though… I still have the pocket bags and just enough fabric to fashion some welts for welt pockets.  I’m going to give it a crack pretty soon, but just wanted to write this blog post anyway; while the spirit was willing, so to speak.

I’m so glad to get this long-petted fabric out from the fabric room and into … um, well into a different room in the house?!  The wardrobe!  😀

Later edit; I added the pockets! so much better now  🙂

wearing it here with my me-made tights, raincoat, scarf and cardigan, and rtw boots

 

I’m really only including this next picture because of The Eye.

Details:

Dress; the Delice pattern by Super Bison cousin main, brushed cotton plaid from the Fabric Store in Melbourne
white shoes; designed and made by me, details here

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floral frikka with matching skirt

15/02/2020 1:13 pm \ 8 Comments \

… so here are a few things I made earlier! like; along with everything else that’s been going on I can barely remember when I made them.  Honestly, I’m really missing writing for my blog lately, and “engaging” with other sewing folks on instagram – please note correct use of appropriate buzzword – with all the wedding sewing I’m doing it’s all I can do to keep up with just my daily outfit blog … and keep the pantry stocked … and some sort of food on the table each night… wait.  Actually that is rarely happening nowadays, whoops…

Also, a pre-warning, after the wedding there’s going to be a veritable avalanche of sewn items popping up here.  An avalanche I tell you!!

Anyway!! I’m just gonna go with stream of consciousness blogging again and see how we go.

This is the new Frikka hoodie pattern by Fibremood… funny thing; when the catalogue came out I immediately homed in on the Becky dress and was like, YES!  that’s the one for me!! at that point noticed that it was for child’s size 2-14 … womp womp.  So I chose the adult sized Frikka hoodie obviously.  As it turned out, I had just enough fabric to cut out a little matching skirt, and so I’m pretty chuffed I ended up with a sort- Becky look after all.  Win!

pseudo-Becky

My fabric is a surprisingly cosy cotton double gauze from Minerva.  Suprising, because you wouldn’t ordinarily think cotton gauze would be warm.  In my experience, it’s a lot warmer than you think!  And so soft and cuddly, mmm.

note to self; wearing the hoodie up with a pony tail looks, um weird….

Some sewing notes; I added a kangaroo pocket on the front…  #pocketho

I stitched the sleeve hem quite deep hem on the sleeves, a. because I really love a three quarter length sleeve, and b. so when cuffed/rolled up the right side of the fabric shows.

I didn’t have a matching cord on hand for a drawstring in the lower casing, and may not even bother actually.  I think it’s fine just the way it is.

I really like the hood construction on this thing.  It’s fully self-lined, in a very innovative (to me) yet intuitive and simple to construct way; with the two sides being cut on a fold, opening edge on the fold.  Very clean and easy.

With the matching skirt; I didn’t have enough fabric for the waistband as well, so cut one from an old pair of jeans.  The colour is a perfect match, and also denim is probably a better fabric for a waistband anyway.

I stitched on a, in retrospect rather insane daisy button, because it seemed appropriately fun and random at the time, but I may switch it out at some point.  The petals are really knobbly so it’s kinda tricky pushing it through the buttonhole…

 

I also fully lined the skirt with ivory/grey polyacetate lining fabric, because the gauze is naturally quite “sticky” and I do plan on wearing it in winter, with tights.

  

Note to self; 40 minutes for a blog post.. not too bad!  Now to get back to the wedding sewing!!

     

Details:

Hoodie; the Fibremood Frikka hoodie, made in this cotton double gauze
Skirt; kinda based upon Vogue 1247, except with no pockets or horizontal seams, same fabric, and lined
Poppy dress (only the skirt seen); Vogue 1351, poppy print silk chiffon, details here
Pink twist top; the Pattern Magic 1 twist top, thin pink stretch stuff, details here
Shoes; made by me and my own design, detail here

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I made a cool white dress

17/11/2019 5:25 pm \ 11 Comments \

O haiiiiii!!  As per the title of this post I have indeed made a cool white dress.  Noice, huh?

IN other news, in an attempt to be more time efficient I am now aiming to write this blog post in the swiftest time possible, and with minimal to-ing and fro-ing and correcting and proof-reading.  Since normally I’m about as slow as a wet week.  Let’s see how I go… it is now 16:17…

So this is Burda 08/2017; 119; also known as the “miscellaneous dress” on the Burda style website.  I was idly browsing on the website and spotted it, and instantly fell in love.  I almost almost clicked buy now for the pdf, when I thought to do a last minute check on the Burda magazines I have in my collection.  Bingo.  Of course I already have it.  WIN!!

I had a length of white cotton sateen sent to me by Minerva; it’s very thin and a little crisp, and perfect for a highly detailed little summer dress like this design, I think, with some twists and folds and pleats and things that are perfectly highlighted in a plain colour.  Or,should I say, non colour?  with black and white, I never know whether it’s technically correct to call them colours actually, but my personal feeling is that both ARE colours and should be awarded that title.  Why should the most commonly used shades in apparel not be considered official colours anyway?  Weird.  But I digress.  I’m never going to write a nice swift blog post at this rate!

So, my dress.

I love designs with a twist and/or something unusual/asymmetric/weird about them, which is the reason I chose this design since; it’s chocka with stuff like that; obviously it has that belt/cummerbund thingy at the waist, and there is also an apparently full length asymmetric fold running all the way from the left shoulder right down to the hemline.  it’s not really a full length fold, that’s just an optical illusion since it’s chopped off and restarts in the waistline, but I love how it does look like it runs all the way through.

This Burda pattern is quite a challenge actually, and I scratched my head several times as to what I was supposed to be doing.   My advice is to mark the seam NUMBERS carefully and accurately; yes, those corners on a Burda pattern where there is a 1, 2 etc; those are the seam numbers which are often used in the instructions.  In my view, having them marked in this pattern is imperative to success.  Attaching the front bodice and skirt to the ride side middle piece and the right front middle piece, and the tab piece is pretty darn tricky to get your head around.  I’m not even sure if I got it exactly right in the end, but it “looks” pretty good and that’s all that matters really.

And truthfully I love a challenge though, something you can really get your teeth into  🙂

Clara asks; does my bum look big in this?

I also have a little feeling I should have done some sort of small bust adjustment, but am probably just splitting hairs here; I’m actually very happy with the final result and am positive I’m going to wear it a lot.  You know one of those dresses that it’s almost impossible to take a bad picture of it?  It felt a bit like this when I was reviewing the pictures of this one.

The fabric had just a little bit of stretch, just enough that I risked sewing  up most of the centre back seam, and only put in a short, 15cm zip at the top end near the neckline, enough that I could fit my head through it.  This worked out great, I can pull the dress over my head and it stretches just enough that I can wriggle into it just fine!

The back is really pretty plain; kinda blah with nothing special going on at all.  I think in a perfect world I would have chosen for this design to have something equally visually interesting at the back too, but well, you can’t have everything.

The first day I wore it, I paired it with my handmade slides/sandal things that I made at my first shoe camaraderie workshop… I love how they look together!

So that’s it!  It is now 16:45; not too terrible… oh but I haven’ t counted the time it took to take and upload pictures. Damm!

I am actually in this picture here, posing like a boss somewhere back there.  There just happens to be a subtle, unobtrusive bit of photobombing going on at the same time…

Details:

Dress; Burda 08/2017;119, in slightly stretchy, thin white cotton sateen
Shoes: white slides made by me! details here 

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